Irish rock star Bono has come under fire from left wing political activists after investing in a video game which depicts Venezuela in a negative light.
The U2 frontman has invested $300 million (GBP166 million) in California manufacturers Pandemic Studios, whose game Mercenary 2: World in Flames allows players to play a mercenary sent to Venezuela, which has been taken over by an oil-hungry dictator. The player is told, "If you can see it, you can buy it, steal it, or blow the living crap out of it."
The actual leader of the South American nation at present is HUGO CHAVEZ, who is well-known for his anti-imperialism views and his dislike of the United States foreign policy.
Jeff Cohen, author of CABLE NEWS CONFIDENTIAL: MY MISADVENTURES IN CORPORATE MEDIA, has recently visited Venezuela and is baffled by Bono's endorsement of the game.
Cohen tells gossip site PageSix, "It's hard to fathom why an artist who claims to be about new paths to justice for developing countries would be mixed up in a computer game that glorifies stale, old mercenary approaches."